Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing

Part 1

Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed. Words printed in italics are noted with underscores: italics. Words printed in bold are noted with tildes: ~bold~.

PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY

AND

CRYSTAL GAZING

By WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON

A Course of Lessons on

The Psychic Phenomena of Distant Sensing, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Crystal Gazing, Etc.

Printed by YOGA PUBLICATION SOCIETY

ISBN 0-911662-41-3

Copyright 1908

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LESSON I--THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 5

Interesting, scientific principles underlying Psychomancy. Sensing objects by the Astral Senses. The three classes of Psychomancy. The phenomena of the Astral Vision. The Astral Tube. Projection of the Astral Body.

LESSON II--HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 15

The Dawn of the Psychic Faculties. Auric Colors. Visions. Development Methods. Concentration. Visualization. Psychometry. The Magic Mirror. How to use the Crystal and Mirror. General Instruction.

LESSON III--SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 27

Simple and Space Psychomancy and their differences. Sensitivity to Impressions. "Feeling" the Thought of Others. Seeing Through Solid Objects. Seeing Down Into the Earth. Telescopic and Microscopic Vision. Diagnosis of Disease by Psychomancy.

LESSON IV--THE ASTRAL TUBE 36

This most interesting study is stated clearly, so that all may readily understand this fundamental principle of Psychic Communication.

LESSON V--PSYCHOMETRY 41

Locating persons by a lock of hair, etc. Reading a person's characteristics, past history, etc. Describing distant scenes from flowers, etc. Describing mines from bits of minerals, etc. Reading the past associations of an object.

LESSON VI--CRYSTAL GAZING 45

Revival of a Lost Science. Various forms of Crystal Gazing. Directions of "How to Do It," etc.

LESSON VII--ASTRAL PROJECTION 51

Projecting the Astral Body. Materializing one's self. Taking part in Distant Scenes, Events and Conversations. Showing one's self to Absent Friends. What the trained experimentor may do. The English Society's reports upon Psychic Phenomena along these lines. The Living Ghost within each of us. Traveling in the Astral.

LESSON VIII--SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 59

What it means, and what may be accomplished by means of it. Swedenborg's, and others', wonderful experiences. Truth stranger than fiction. Scientific facts reading like a romance.

LESSON IX--PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY 68

Part 2

Sensing the scenes, occurrences and objects of the Past, by Astral Vision. A most fascinating subject, and one of importance to those having or developing Psychic Power.

LESSON X--FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY 76

Reading the Future. Future events cast their shadows before. Destiny and Fate. Premonitions, Previsions and Second Sight. The wonderful prevision and prediction of Cazotte, and its amusing sequel.

LESSON XI--DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 84

Psychomancy during sleep. The Phenomena of Psychic Dreams and Visions. Traveling in the Astral while asleep. Remarkable and well authenticated cases of Psychic Dreams and Visions, true and verified. This lesson will explain many similar instances in your own experience.

LESSON I.

THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY.

The term "Psychomancy" (pronounced, "sy-ko-man-see"), is derived from two Greek words, the first "psycho," meaning "the soul; the mind; the understanding" (and generally used to indicate "psychic" or unusual powers of the soul or mind); the second word, "mancy" meaning "to divine; to foresee, or foreknow; to detect secret things,"--and in occult parlance, "~to sense~," or "to receive impressions by the Astral Senses." So the word, as we use it, may be said to mean "Psychic Sensing," and in this work will be so used. The word "Psychomancer" means "one practicing Psychomancy;" and the word "Psychomantic" means "relating to Psychomancy."

The word "Clairvoyance" is frequently used by people to designate some of the phases of Psychomancy, but strictly speaking this term is incorrect when used in this sense, the true occult meaning of the word "Clairvoyance," being "transcendental vision, or the perception of beings on another plane of existence--the seeing of disembodied souls, elementals, etc." And so, in this work, we shall consider the true phenomena of Clairvoyance, as distinct from that of Psychomancy.

In this work, we shall regard as the true phenomena of Psychomancy, all the various phenomena known as Psychometry; Crystal Gazing; Perceiving Distant Scenes; a perception of Past Events, and Indication of Future Events; either in the full waking state; the state of reverie; or the state of dreams.

And, so this work will examine, consider, and explain, the various phases of phenomena above indicated--in short, the phenomena of ~"sensing" objects by means of Astral Senses~, omitting the phenomena of Clairvoyance, or seeing disembodied souls, etc., which we regard as belonging to a different phase of the general subject, and which require special consideration and examination.

The majority of works upon these lines begin by an elaborate attempt to "prove" the reality of the phenomena in question. But we shall not fall into this error, for such we regard it. The time for the necessity of such proof is past. The records of the Societies for Psychical Research are full of proofs, and evidence, which are as full, complete and strong as ever required by any court to hang or clear a man. And the book shelves of the libraries are full of other books, giving like proof. And, for that matter, this work is not written to convince people of the truth of this phenomena--it is intended for those who have already convinced themselves of its reality, but who wish for specific information regarding its nature, manner of manifestation, etc. Where we quote instances of the manifestation of some form of Psychomantic phenomena, in this work, we do so simply to illustrate the characteristics of some particular form of the phenomena, and not as corroborative proof. With this explanation, we propose plunging right into the main subject itself.

There have been many attempted explanations of, and theories regarding the phenomena of Psychomancy, some of which are more or less plausible, while others are quite visionary, "wild," and fantastic. In this work, we shall pay no attention to those more or less ingenious "guesses" of the theorists, but shall, instead, give you plainly, clearly, and simply, the time-honored teachings of the advanced Occultists which teachings we believe to be the Truth, tested and tried by centuries of investigation, and experiment.

THE ASTRAL SENSES.

The Occult Teachings inform us that in addition to the Five Physical Senses possessed by man, viz: Seeing; Feeling; Hearing; Tasting; and Smelling; each of which has its appropriate sense organ, every individual is also possessed of Five Astral Senses, which form a part of what is known to Occultists as the Astral Body. These Astral Senses, which are the astral counterparts of the five physical senses, operate upon what Occultists call the Astral Plane, which is next above the Physical Plane, in the Sevenfold Scale of Planes. Just as do the Physical Senses operate upon the Physical Plane, so do the Astral Senses operate upon the Astral Plane.

By means of these Astral Senses, one may sense outside objects without the use of the physical senses usually employed. And it is through this sensing by these Astral Senses, that the phenomena of Psychomancy becomes possible.

By the employment of the Astral Sense of Seeing, the Psychomancer is able to perceive occurrences, scenes, etc., at a distance sometimes almost incredibly far; to see through solid objects; to see records of past occurrences in the Astral Ether; and to see Future Scenes thrown ahead in Time, like the shadows cast by material objects--"coming events cast their shadows before," you have heard. By the use of the Astral Sense of Hearing, he is able to sense sounds over immense distances and often after the passage of great periods of time, for the Astral vibrations continue for many years.

The Astral senses of Taste and Smell are seldom used, although there are abundant proofs of their existence. The Astral Sense of Feeling enables the Psychomancer to become aware of certain occurrences on the Astral Plane, and to perceive impressions, mental and otherwise, that are being manifested at a distance. The Astral Sense of Feeling may be explained as being rather a sense of "Awareness," than a mere "Feeling," inasmuch as the Psychomancer, through its channel, becomes "aware" of certain occurrences, other than by Astral Sight or Hearing, and yet which is not "Feeling" as the word is used on the Physical Plane. It may be well called "Sensing" for want of a better name, and manifests in a vague consciousness or "awareness." But still we must not overlook the fact that there are many instances of true "feeling" on the Astral Plane, for instances, cases where the Psychomancer actually "feels" the pain of another, which phenomena is commonly known as "sympathetic pains," "taking on the condition," etc., etc., and which are well known to all investigators as belonging to the phenomena of the Astral Senses.

THE ASTRAL BODY

But, to understand the Astral Senses, one must be made acquainted with the existence of that which Occultists know as "The Astral Body." There is no point in the Occult Teachings better established; longer held; or more thoroughly proven than that of the existence of the Astral Body. This teaching of the Ancient Occultists is being corroborated by the experiments, and investigations of the Psychic Researchers of the present day.

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